Since I knew what the content of my video needed to be before making it, I wanted to portray my studies, interests and aspirations in a real and authentic way. I wanted to stay true to myself for both my audience and my studies. It is very important to be yourself, especially online, as so many people edit their lives to make themselves look better. I used to struggle personally with this, therefore have taken a new approach to social media, and try to portray myself realistically and genuinely. I also intended for my audience to feel as though they were there with me, sharing the conversation. I portrayed this through the use of eye contact with my camera and positioning myself in an almost informal, relaxed way.
When planning my video, I knew that I wanted to keep it super simple and raw. I wrote out several dot point on a piece of paper and placed it right under my positioned phone, making it convenient to quickly look down if I lost my train of thought. I placed my phone onto a homemade tripod that I constructed with a box. Sitting directly in front of my window allowed there to be natural lighting in my video, but unfortunately, due to the overcast day, it only allowed me to have mediocre lighting. Therefore decided to also use my lamp, which I placed directly behind my phone. This enabled me to have both natural and warm lighting combined in my video. Sitting at my desk allowed me to position myself in the centre of the frame, surrounded by the background of my room. When I first looked at the clip, I realised that my background was too plain, so decided to stick watercolour drawings of elephants that I detached from my calendar onto my wall. Which, might I add I actually really love! Although this made a big difference to the aesthetics in my room, it did draw the attention away from myself, as I was positioned in the centre. Creating a focal point in my clip, drawing the audience’s attention towards myself and what I am saying.
Moments before I decided to start filming, my roommate began to vacuum. This would have been a major issue when filming, due to the audio interruptions. Therefore I waited until she had finished before I began filming. Thankfully there were no more interruptions throughout the recording. I also discovered that talking in front of a camera was a lot harder than I imagined. I’m a very bubbly, energetic girl who loves a good yarn, but as soon as I pressed record I immediately went blank and lost my train of thought. I found it difficult to express my feelings and explain what I was trying to say. I had to record the same sentences quite a few times before I explained it. Understandable that it was my first time behind a camera, but I do hope I improve and become more comfortable throughout the trimester because overall, I did enjoy the experience as a whole.
Elyssa's Life 